Kids Health

Childs health is one of the main concerns of parents. Being healthy includes their physical, mental and social well being. To keep your child healthy you should take care not only their diet, but also see that they sleep well, are immunized at time, have adequate exercise and most of all, that they remain happy. They have such a delicate and sensitive body make up that they can easily get ill.

Although most parents see to it that their child is well fed and lives in a hygienic condition, kids do get one or the other health problem. Kids are affected with a number of problems ranging from mild ones to real serious inborn ones. All types of health problems should be treated at time, be it big or small. Kids can also have some behavioral problems like the ADHA, whereby the child is always hyperactive and unmanageable, the parents of such kids should be patient and caring as your child can't help being irritable. Medications are available to calm up their hyperactivity.

Having a balanced diet is important in kids as in grownups. The most common type of health problem associated with diet in kids includes anemia and constipation in fussy eaters. Usually most children have a glass of milk in one form or the other, milk is a complete food but is a very poor source of iron and fiber, hence iron should be supplemented from other foods. Leafy vegetables, carrot, beans etc are rich source of iron but most children refuses to take vegetables and fruits. Try feeding them vegetables by including it in their favorite dish; chop it so finely so that the kids won't know it is in there. Giving your kids whole fruits is good for their development, if the child refuses to have it, try fruit juices, milk shakes or fruit salad. It is found that the earlier you make your kid try different tastes, the less fussy they become. Try giving your kids very small bites of fruits and veggies that they "hates" the most, every day, By 6 or 7 days they will start accepting that particular taste. Always include a high protein diet in their menu because they are going to need a lot of protein to grow well. Most of the parents try to feed their kids and make them chubby, but remember a well planned diet is what your kid needs and being chubby or what doctor's call obese can lead to many health problems in future.

Nowadays you can prevent many diseases like chicken pox, whooping cough, polio, tetanus, hepatitis B etc through immunization. Immunizing your child at the right time and taking them to the doctor for routine checkups can reduce the chance of getting a number of diseases. Sleep is essential for every human being it is not just resting yourself it is giving a rest to most parts of your body so that you can start fresh in the morning. The sleeping hour may differ in each child but as your baby grows up the number of hours they sleep is reduced – a new born may sleep most of the time, while a child in the age group might sleep for 12-14 hours a day including day naps. Adequate sleep is found to increase brain functioning in kids, it also reduces cranky behaviors.

Proper exercise and work out is necessary to keep your child physically fit. Exercise in kids means any sort of physical activity including games and play. Today most kids sit in front of the television and computer most of the time and most of them never gets a bit of physical work out. Make your kids play any games that make them run around a bit, make the play chase the robber, so that they will have a good time running around. Games like cricket, badminton are also best for your kids. Make them play their favorite outdoor game at least two to three times a week. Taking your kid on hiking or walking them to a nearby park or taking them for a swim can also help them. Researchers now says playing with sand is good for the kids, it is found to improve immunity, taking them to a beach and building a sand castle with them can serve the purpose. Your involvement in your child's activity also helps to cement the bonding between you. But take care to make them wash their hands thoroughly after playing with sand and soil because in tropical countries like India, playing with mud may cause stomach worms in most of the kids.

The parental love and happy atmosphere at home also makes your child healthy, it improves their emotional health. However busy you may be, find time to talk to your kids daily and make them feel you care. And have a heart to heart discussion once in a while. It is found that kids coming from family with unhealthy relationships have a far more chance to go on addictives like alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. So do take care of your child and make them feel like the gem of your life, which they are.